Individual Investors Help Drive Stock Surge

By

Tom Lauricella

Jan. 29, 2013 8:01 p.m. ET

Small investors are jumping back into the stock market after abandoning it during the financial crisis.

The return by individual investors is a big reason the Dow Jones Industrial Average is pushing toward an all-time high. On Tuesday, the Dow rose 72.49 points to 13954.42, its highest close since October 2007. The Dow has surged 850 points in January, a 6.5% gain, marking its best start to a new year since 1989.